Eating chili is harmful to the stomach?

This is an automatically translated article.

The article was professionally consulted with Specialist Doctor I Le Nguyen Hong Tram - Gastroenterologist - Department of Medical Examination & Internal Medicine - Vinmec Nha Trang International General Hospital.

Eating spicy food can cause stomach upset if you use too much chili in the meal. But if you know how to adjust the amount of chili just enough, this food still brings unexpected health benefits.

1. Uses of chili

Chili is a popular plant and is often used as a spice to make dishes more flavorful. The spicy taste in chili peppers that we feel is capsaicin (the compound that causes red, hot). The capsaicin in chili peppers has a very special effect on attacking the energy center of cancer cells, thereby killing malignant cells. At the same time, this substance also helps the body reduce blood pressure and reduce fat. Besides, the spicy taste in chili also causes the brain to release chemicals that reduce pain. Some other useful substances in chili also help good blood circulation, limiting the symptoms of platelet clumping - the cause of myocardial infarction. According to many scientific studies, the hot substance in chili fruit can be used to make medicine to treat arthritis diseases.

2. Is eating chili harmful to the stomach?

There is no denying the practical benefits that chili brings to health. However, many people still believe that chili peppers can be harmful and raise the question whether eating chili peppers will cause stomach pain? Or people with stomach pain should eat bell peppers?
Although the capsaicin in chili peppers is a substance that causes redness and heat on contact, if eaten with chili peppers in moderate amounts, our stomach can still protect itself. Therefore, using chili in daily meals in a reasonable amount is still considered safe for everyone's stomach. So, is it harmful to eat a lot of chili?
Similar to other foods, if we eat too much, the substances in chili can have the opposite effect and affect health. Easy-to-recognize signs when the stomach has a bad reaction from chili peppers are: The stomach is inflamed, there is a feeling of nausea, vomiting, heartburn, burning stomach or gastric juice from the stomach back up into the esophagus. , burning behind the sternum. In some cases, eating too much chili can also cause digestive and intestinal problems because the capsaicin in chili peppers can upset the digestive system, leading to the risk of diarrhea.
In general, people with stomach ulcers or other stomach-related diseases should also be cautious when using chili peppers. In fact, chili peppers can be the cause of the onset of pain in the stomach and make the ulcer area larger.
Thus, if using chili appropriately when eating will bring many benefits. Users should only limit eating too much chili to avoid bad effects on the stomach in particular and health in general.

3. Notes when eating chili to protect health

Around the issue of whether eating chili in particular or eating spicy food will cause stomach pain, experts give some advice as follows:
Don't eat a lot of chili: Using too much chili not only makes the stomach hurt. but also makes the taste of the dish overwhelmed and no longer appetizing. Do not eat chili on an empty stomach: Should eat light foods such as cakes, starch, ... before eating chili to not cause harm to the stomach. Cook chili peppers before eating: This will help reduce irritation in the oral mucosa as well as limit indigestion, bloating, and stomach pain. Alternate spicy dishes with other dishes: The combination of other dishes will help reduce the harmful effects of spicy taste. Eat spicy foods when cold: Eating spicy dishes when cold will help you avoid damage to the stomach, esophagus, palate, tongue burns and temporary paralysis of taste. Cooling down after eating spicy: You can drink fresh milk, yogurt, cooling tea, herbal tea... to reduce the hot and spicy condition after eating. In addition, you should also use sour fruits to reduce the spicy taste at the tip of the tongue. Eating spicy food can cause stomach upset if you use too much chili in a meal. But if you know how to adjust the amount of chili just enough, this food will still bring unexpected health benefits.

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